Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 28, 1993 TAG: 9310280091
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
"I won a $1,200 cabinet, but I lost a $23,000 sports car by one number," said the 44-year-old architect.
"I could see myself driving around Radford in that car now.
"It was black. That's all I remember."
In California on business, Martin said he let his wife, Susan, talk him into standing in line for several hours for free tickets and a chance to be a contestant on the popular quiz show.
"I don't watch it," he said. "My wife watches it."
Martin and his wife waited from 7:30 a.m. until the taping of the show, at 1:15 p.m. "Some people had been there since 1 a.m."
Martin was luckier than nearly all of them. Only a handful are picked as possible players.
He was the first one to hear announcer Rod Roddy intone that famous phrase: "Larry Martin, come on down!"
"I was nervous, nervous. My mind turned to Jell-O," he said.
After making it past the preliminary round to the big game on stage, Martin said he started getting into it.
"I didn't even notice the good-looking women they've got running around."
In the "high-low" game, he guessed right on four out of the five numbers representing the car's price tag. Show host Bob Barker gave him a second chance to change the single incorrect number.
Members of the audience hollered for him to change "the five." But, there were two fives.
They put the camera on his wife who was "going crazy."
"I chose the wrong five," said Martin.
"I'm going to be driving a jelly cabinet," he said.
Martin's appearance is scheduled for airing Dec. 1 on WDBJ, Channel 7.
by CNB